Progressive American Flat Track is excited to announce that the City of Sturgis, South Dakota, and Black Hills Harley-Davidson will serve as the title sponsor and presenting sponsor, respectively, for The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Sunday, August 6.

Despite a population of around 7,000 residents, the City of Sturgis is known worldwide for hosting and staging the largest motorcycle rally in the world on an annual basis. The 83rd City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, which will take place from August 4-13, is expected to draw some 600,000 motorcycle enthusiasts, and inject approximately $800 million into the state’s economy.

Black Hills Harley-Davidson is home to the largest selection of Harley-Davidson motorcycles, parts, accessories, and apparel in the Midwest. Black Hills Harley-Davidson is also a long-time supporter of Progressive AFT and has fielded its own race-winning teams in recent seasons. Every year during the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Black Hills Harley-Davidson plays host to over 100 of the industry’s top brands on its 40-acre layout in what it known as “The Rally at Exit 55.”

General Admission Grandstand tickets for the The City of Sturgis Black Hills Half-Mile presented by Black Hills Harley-Davidson are just $25 (kids 12 and under $5), with Premium General Admission Grandstand tickets only $10 more. VIP tickets, which offer access to an exclusive indoor viewing area and include food and beverage, are $125.

Pit Pass Upgrades are also available for purchase, which provide all-day access to the pits where fans can scope out the world’s fastest dirt track motorcycles and get up close and personal with the stars of the sport.

Visit https://www.tixr.com/groups/americanflattrack/events/black-hills-half-mile-73564 to reserve your seats today.

For those that can’t catch the live action from the circuit, FansChoice.tv is the live streaming home of Progressive AFT. Sign up now and catch every second of on-track action starting with Practice & Qualifying and ending with the Victory Podium at the end of the night at https://www.fanschoice.tv.

For more information on Progressive AFT visit https://www.americanflattrack.com.

Jim Beaver eSports driver Garrett Lowe delivered the team its first-ever eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series victory on Tuesday night, scoring a statement win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in overtime in the #15 Big Green Egg Ford Mustang. Two weeks after being denied a win at Nashville Superspeedway while a driver on older tires put him into the wall, Lowe led 32 laps and survived multiple late-race restarts for wrecks in the back of the pack to lock himself into the 2023 playoffs.

Upset by the level of aggression in the finish at Nashville, both Lowe and teammate Malik Ray carried protest paint schemes in the race that harkened back to a moment in the 1996 NASCAR Cup Series. After driver Kyle Petty received a five-lap penalty for rough driving for an accident in Charlotte, SABCO Racing owner Felix Sabates, who felt that Dale Earnhardt wouldn’t have been penalized for the same move, reskinned Petty’s car for the next race at Dover to match Earnhardt’s colors. He also added the message “TODO ES JUSTO EN AMOR Y CARRERAS” (roughly, “all is fair in love and racing”) to the car.

Sabates’ refusal to feel pushed around sent a message throughout the sport, and the new look was just as impactful for JBE for the same reasons. Lowe was a factor all race long, finally taking the lead on Lap 74. While a flurry of late cautions kept the field bunched up, Lowe was masterful on restarts, always pulling out to a clear lead and leaving the field behind him. That was no more apparent than on the final restart, when the driver starting directly behind him had fresher tires—just as Lowe had in Nashville—but couldn’t come close to challenging for the victory.

“Congratulations to Garrett for earning the win that he deserved two weeks earlier and getting us into the playoffs for the first time,” said team owner Jim Beaver. “We made our statement to the eNASCAR community: it’s possible to get people talking a lot about a big win without having to put somebody in the wall to do it. It’s great to finally have an eNASCAR win under our belt after four years of trying, but I’m happiest that we did it by racing in a way that we as a team can be proud of. Now, we’re looking forward to trying to put Malik into the playoffs too at Pocono.”

Lowe is locked into the playoffs with his victory and a certain top-20 spot in points at the end of the regular season, while Ray and the #7 Jim Beaver’s Misadventure IPA Ford Mustang are fighting for one of the final remaining playoff spots. After a wreck late in the running at NHMS, Ray is ninth in the current standings with five top-fives and seven top-10s, but ranks third among drivers who have yet to win, and with eight winners so far, is currently the first driver on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Always a threat on big, fast tracks, he’ll look to make the most of the fixed-setup regular season finale at the wide-open Pocono Raceway next week. That race will air on Tuesday, August 1 at 9PM ET on eNASCAR.com/live.

Image via Nate Stewart/Apex Action Photography

• Enhanced battery power output of 400kW, up from 350kW in the GEN3, through the activation of the front powertrain kit in traction, delivering all-wheel drive for the first time in a Formula E car. The battery was charged by ABB, the title partner and official charging partner of the Championship.
• New, softer iON Race tire compound allowing faster warm-up and better peak grip, developed by Hankook Tire, official tire supplier of Formula E.
• 3D printed front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector with circular, more sustainable thermoplastic solutions developed by SABIC, principal partner of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, to optimize aerodynamics for enhanced straight line speed of the GENBETA.

• Battery: The 350kW power output of the current GEN3 has been enhanced to 400kW. The combined power output of 400kW with all-wheel drive is the result of the dynamic power balance of 50kW available in the front motor and 350kW in the rear-axle motor. The GEN3 and GENBETA batteries are charged by ABB, the title partner and official charging partner of the Championship.
• Tires: Hankook, together with Formula E and the FIA, created a new specification to maximize the GENBETA’s power output to maximize grip in the bid to set the new world record. The iON Race Formula E Development tire incorporates a new compound which is relatively much softer than the specification tires used by a GEN3 in races. This allows for a faster warm-up time and as a result gives better peak grip to the driver to maximise the performance and hit the speed target.
• Bodywork: enhancing the aerodynamics of the GENBETA focused on maximizing the straight line speed of the car to achieve the maximum possible speed in the record-breaking test zone. To achieve this, Formula E Principal Partner SABIC contributed circular, more sustainable thermoplastics for three key innovations in the bodywork: new front wing endplates, wheel fins and a wind deflector. The advanced thermoplastics from SABIC come from its TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio, designed to accelerate the change towards a circular economy with solutions targeted at preventing valuable plastics from becoming waste and helping reduce carbon emissions.
  • Front wing endplates: these components, mounted on the outboard extremities of the vehicle’s front wing, are integral to redirection of airflow around the front wheels to help reduce drag, while contributing to the car’s downforce and stability. The front wing endplates on the GENBETA were produced by additive manufacturing or 3D printing process known as fused deposition modelling. The SABIC thermoplastic material employed makes possible the construction of endplates with high stiffness and strength combined with a low weight. 3D printing of the parts also contributes to less material waste, energy use and emissions.
  • Wheel fins: these components, mounted onto the wheel rims in a radial, spoke-like pattern, are intended to help optimize airflow and reduce aerodynamic drag for higher acceleration and speed performance. As an additional benefit, the fins can increase the car’s overall efficiency and aid in cooling the brakes to improve stopping power. The fins are manufactured through injection moulding with a mechanically-recycled thermoplastic from SABIC.
  • Wind deflector: This clear transparent part is attached to the front of the cockpit ahead of the driver and supports optimization of airflow for decreased drag, contributing to improved speed performance. The deflector is thermoplastic sheet product, which is manufactured through an extrusion process using a certified renewable low-carbon thermoplastic from SABIC.

 Formula 2 and World Endurance Championship racing driver, Juan Manuel “JM” Correa, recently announced a partnership with Box Box, the go-to app for Formula 1 fans. In exchange for equity in the company, Correa will become a brand ambassador to expand awareness among motorsport fans and join its board of directors as a strategic advisor across product development and optimization.  

Launched in May 2022 and already boasting over 800,000 active users, Box Box was founded by Chief Design Officer Ranjith Ramanan and Chief Technology Officer Kamal Kumar Lakshmanan. The app provides Formula 1 fans with real-time news updates, exclusive content, in-depth analysis and statistics, and is one of the only sports apps that offers customizable widgets for iOS and Android. Available in 176 countries, it’s accessible in a variety of languages, including English, Spanish, French, Italian and German. 

“With plans to expand beyond F1 content to include other motorsport championships, JM was the ideal partner to help guide us as we take Box Box to that next level,” said Ramanan. “Not only does he help us reach the F2 fanbase, but his multicultural background will be crucial in ensuring we reach U.S. and South American motorsport fans.” 

A member of Van Amersfoort Racing, an auto racing team based in the Netherlands, Correa is an Ecuadorian-American Formula 2 racing driver with aspirations of becoming the next F1 driver to represent the United States. He also competes in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with Prema Racing in a partial campaign that saw him make his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut in June 2023.

The news surrounding Correa’s partnership with Box Box comes ahead of the F2 Belgian Grand Prix on July 28-30, which marks the first time Correa will compete in an F2 race at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the track where he suffered the tragic accident that left him in a two-week coma and claimed the life of fellow racing driver, Anthoine Hubert, in 2019. 

“I’m huge a fan of what the Box Box team has built, and I’m confident they’ll develop this into something big – something the entire motorsport community will love,” said Correa. “As for this weekend at Spa, coming back is always emotional, but I look forward to creating new memories here alongside our new partners.”   

The Box Box logo will be displayed across Correa’s helmet and car starting this weekend’s Belgian GP this weekend. Correa is also coming into the race on the back of his five-point finish this season with ninth place in the Feature Race at the recent F2 race in Hungary.

You can almost hear the roar of the Corvettes that are racing in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion Aug. 16-19, which are expertly illustrated in the official artwork revealed today. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca hosts the 49th year of this historic event that this year celebrates the 70th anniversary of the American performance icon, Chevrolet Corvette.

Artist Bill Patterson skillfully captures the speed, history and craft of an American performance  icon – Corvette – in this year’s featured poster art, which has become synonymous with the renowned event.

“Corvette is a marque that is not only a great American icon, but it has built an international following as well,” says artist Bill Patterson who has been associated with WeatherTech Raceway for more than 18 years. He explains that it’s both exciting and formidable to tackle such an important art piece that is seen around the world.

“The challenge to tell the incredible story of Corvette in a single painting is daunting and, in fact, impossible. With this in mind, I can focus on creating an image satisfying to me, and, hopefully, to every participant and fan at this year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. I’m grateful to be a motorsports artist, and am thrilled to have the passion of Corvette and its fans to inspire me! I look forward to seeing you all!”

In addition to the art being available as a collectible 24” x 36” poster to purchase, which has long been a fan favorite among true fans and collectors, the art will be used on select merchandise in the Official Raceway Store. Patterson will also be present in the paddock during the weekend to autograph posters, meet guests and conduct live art demonstrations.

General admission and the esteemed Legends Club tickets are still available for the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. For tickets visit WeatherTechRaceway.com or call 831-242-8200.

(Courtesy of WeatherTech Raceway Communications)

Trading two wheels for four, legendary motorcycle racer, Marc Márquez, has listed his team’s motorhome on Airbnb for a stay during the Catalan Grand Prix. The 8-time world champion is the Host of his team motorhome in the heart of the GP action, offering motor racing fans ‘pole position’ in the paddock area of the legendary event.

Márquez #93 is one of the most talented motorcycle racers, with a spectacular style loved by millions around the world. Now he’s revved up and ready to add Airbnb Host to his repertoire, offering fans the unprecedented opportunity to live like a MotoGP™ racer for a day: trackside access to the paddock – MotoGP™’s backstage area, where guests will see racing champions and witness the most adrenaline-fuelled moments before the race with their own eyes.

“The motorhomes space during a Grand Prix is exclusively reserved for riders and their teams. Guests will live a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not available to anyone else. This is the most exciting motorsport championship in the world and hosting in my home city really raises the stakes for me”, says Márquez. “Guests are in for the ride of their lives – this is a rare peek behind the scenes at the world of professional racing.”

About the Stay

Márquez will host a one-night stay for up to two people in his team’s motorhome occurring September 2, 2023 for only 93 euros per night*, a nod to Márquez’s racing number. Highlights include:

• A night in the Márquez team’s motorhome, located next to Márquez’s private trailer in a trackside area that is only accessible to the riders.
• A closer look at some of the rider’s memorabilia, including his most iconic (and beloved) helmets and race suits – and even a selection of his most treasured championship trophies!
• The perfect VIP village seats to view the race in addition to pit lane access to witness the start of the Grand Prix. 
• Entry to the circuit and VIP passes for exclusive amenities and services on Sunday and Saturday.
• The opportunity to feel like a pro with a ride on the MotoGP™ simulator.
• A personal guided tour of the paddock area including the pit boxes: the ‘backstage’ of the MotoGP™ reserved for racers and their team.

How to Book

Motorheads can request to book this stay beginning July 19, 2023 at 19:00 PM CEST at airbnb.com/motogp. Guests are responsible for their own travel to and from Montmeló, just outside of Barcelona (Spain).

# # #

Interested in becoming an Airbnb Host like Márquez? Learn more at airbnb.com/host.

Mobil 1™, the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, invites consumers nationwide to step away from their devices and celebrate the love of driving together with the launch of its new brand campaign, “Breaking Free.”

“Breaking Free” is not just a campaign; it represents a philosophy rooted in freedom, appreciation of the journey, and the transformative power of the open road to make your worries melt away. And it’s a shared philosophy; over half of Americans identify that some of life’s most cherished moments happen in the car* – from the excitement of getting your driver’s license, family road trips, to singing to music as the miles pass by.

“We dedicate this campaign to our most loyal Mobil 1 consumers,” explains Bryce Huschka, Consumer Marketing Manager, on behalf of Mobil 1. “For nearly 50 years, we’ve been talking about our incredible technology advancements, such as longer drain intervals and fuel economy savings. But we were reminded in our research that the consumers we want to reach are very different – they’re not all obsessed with the latest engine wear protection. What ties them together is their inspirational stories of what driving means to them.”

The goal is to launch a multi-year brand platform that broadens the appeal of the category and opens the door for more people to find their joy in driving – spotlighting human stories instead of technical specifications. The centerpiece of the launch is a film that makes visible the invisible threads that keep us all overconnected.

"As we sat down together to create the campaign, we each shared our version of the story – explaining how technology had crept further into our lives, and the rejuvenation that even a quick drive can bring to the soul,” shares Matt Pruett, Group Creative Director at advertising agency Martin Williams. "In one example, a father shared the story of his three-year-old coming home with a crayon family portrait showing him in front of a computer and smartphone. Developing this work caused a lot of us to examine our own relationships with technology and the impacts of being constantly connected.”

The campaign will run across television, print, digital, video and out-of-home executions. It was produced by Stink Films and directed by the Fridman Sisters – a directing duo made up of Lina and Maira Fridman, who have a talent for telling cinematic visual stories in ways that captivate viewers. They have worked with several top brands across industries and have gained global recognition for their award-winning commercials. Advertising agency Martin Williams led the creative for the brand.

“Our new brand platform will be an umbrella for everything we do going forward with our products, partners and driving experiences for consumers,” adds Huschka. “We have a few exciting surprises up our sleeves as we embark on our 50^th anniversary next year as well as an open invitation to others that share our passion to collaborate – for the love of driving.”

To learn more about the campaign, please visit loveofdriving.us, which features the full film as well as branded content, and follow along on social media via @mobil1.

* per survey commissioned by Metromile, a digital insurer, and conducted by OnePoll

Despite high temperatures, sweltering humidity, a Friday night thunderstorm and Saturday rain storm, the packed grandstands enjoyed extremely close competition at the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 5: Crossroads and Round 3 of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship at World Wide Technology Raceway near St Louis. 

To help the drivers achieve fluid runs through the course, track officials had significantly widened the paved surface in Outside Zone 3 (OZ3) and repositioned OZ4. They also added raised curbs in OZ4 to help the drivers find the edge of the course and avoid putting their rear tires in the dirt.

The track improvements helped reduce the number of incidents but St Louis remains a challenging weekend for FD teams. The 2023 Rounds would witness big names retired early, multiple collisions, a driver protest, multiple One More Time decisions, a failed bye run for the first time in 20 years, the first all-female tandem run, both PRO and PROSPEC Championships would get first-time season winners and new Championship leaders. With the PROSPEC Top 16 postponed by the thunderstorm, the action began at 9:30AM on Saturday and finished at 12:30AM after the PRO Championship schedule was frequently delayed by mechanical issues and collisions. It was just another extraordinary Formula DRIFT Round in St Louis.

PRO QUALIFYING

Three different names appeared at the top of the results sheets from the K&N PRO Qualifying session on Thursday evening. Leading the charge was Kazuya Taguchi (Japan) who won the St Louis Round in 2022. His 94-point qualifying run suggested the Upgarage / ISR Performance / GT Radial / Jerry Yang Racing Toyota 86 was still direct-dialed into the track.

As an added bonus, both Taguchi and second place Nick Noback (USA) would receive bye runs through the Top 32 heats, reducing the potential battle damage each might receive. 

For Noback in the Noback Racing Co E46 BMW by Jerry Yang Racing, his 89-point qualifying score gave him a narrow advantage over third place Dean Kearney (Ireland) who socred 88.6 points in the HyperNFT Dodge Viper. However, races are won by fractions and Noback was delighted with the result.

Formula DRIFT PRO Championship points leader Matt Field (USA) scored 78.6 points in the Borla Performance / GT Radial Corvette. It placed him in a lowly 21st position and meant he’d compete against the winner of Round 4, Adam LZ (USA) in the Top 32 heats.

LZ’s teammate, Chelsea DeNofa (USA), who sat second in the FD PRO title race coming into St Louis, lost power in his Pennzoil / BC Racing Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD on his first qualifying run. Just like the New Jersey Round, DeNofa was demoted to the Knockout Qualifying Format (KQF) reserved for drivers who qualified below 24th place. He salvaged 25th place and would undoubtedly be a major force once competition began.

With several teams absent, 31 drivers qualified for the Top 32 competition places until a technical problem sidelined Diego Higa (Brazil) who failed to complete his KQF run. Therefore, 30 drivers qualified, handing Taguchi and Noback their bye runs.

PRO COMPETITION

After RTR Motorsports had dominated three of the previous four FD PRO Rounds this season, there were whispers of rising domination among the teams and fans. And yet it’s the unpredictability of the sport that makes each Round utterly addictive. And as Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis raised the winner’s trophy for the first time since 2021, there was a collective celebration for one of the most popular figures in the sport. In that moment, we also witnessed the rise of a new dynasty as Odi’s Feal Race Team had dominated the weekend, claiming first and third in PRO and a win in PROSPEC!

Having qualified fifth at the wheel of his Feal Suspension / GT Radial Nissan S15, Odi’s first competition heat was against Mike Power (USA) driving the Power Racing Type Nissan S15. And while they shared the same chassis, it was 1000hp supercharged Texas Speed LSR V8 against 1000hp Toyota 2JZ power and both drivers weren’t sparing the horses!

It was close combat that saw Bakchis draw blood with a superior chase lead in a car that seemed to draw an almost perfect line around the course. 

Advancing into the Top 16, Bakchis met the first of three drift titans he’d need to vanquish on his path to the podium, beginning with Championship leader Matt Field. Both drivers exemplify the type of fast, aggressive, close driving needed to succeed in Formula DRIFT. And after their first runs, the judges couldn’t pick a winner, so requested so requested One More Time (OMT) where the drivers repeat both runs. As in the previous heat, it was Odi’s proximity and angle in the chase position that finally gave him the nod, while Field would watch the remainder of the event from a comfy chair. Field placed 14th on the night, which dropped him to second in the title chase. But we all know that’s not where his story will end!

Moving into the Great 8 heats, Bakchis was awarded a bye run directly into the Final 4. The unusual situation arose after Ryan Tuerck (USA) was himself given a bye run in his Top 16 heat against Ken Gushi (Japan). Unable to make the starting line in the Three's Racing Toyota GR86, Gushi withdrew and Tuerck simply needed to make a single run to prove his car was fit for duty. Except it wasn’t. 

For the first time in 20 years, a car was unable to start its bye run. Tuerck withdrew his Rain-X / Nitto Tire / Rockstar Energy GR Corolla. Leaving no competitor for his Great 8 heat, Bakchis completed his bye run and waited patiently for the Final 4.

His next opponent would be triple Formula DRIFT PRO Champion Chris Forsberg (USA) in the NOS Energy Drink / GT Radial Nissan Z. But their meeting would be somewhat controversial. 

It began on the first run where Forsberg collided with Bakchis in OZ1 shortly after initiation. The impact spun Bakchis and fault was laid at Forsberg’s feet, allowing Team Feal a 10min window to check and repair the S15. After a short delay, the pair completed their second run and Bakchis was duly awarded the win. He then proceeded to watch the second all-Norwegian Final 4 heat between teammate Simen Olsen (Norway) in the Feal Suspension Nissan S14.9 and defending Champion Fredric Aasbo (Norway) in Rockstar Energy Toyota GR Supra. The prospect of two Feal Race Team Nissans in the Final was tantalizingly close. 

That was until Forsberg Racing lodged a protest with the stewards. They argued that Bakchis had slowed momentarily at OZ1, ultimately causing the collision. Visible from lights fitted to every car to indicate momentum, the judges had originally assessed it was inconsequential to the impact. However, Forsberg Racing made a compelling argument, won the appeal, and the drivers repeated the two runs.

In the event, the result was the same. Forsberg dropped two tires into the dirt at OZ4 in the lead and hadn’t maintained proximity in the chase position, so normal service was resumed.

A monumental battle had already taken place between Olsen and Aasbo. Requiring two OMT, Aasbo was awarded the win after a light touch by Olsen during the transition into OZ4 required a small adjustment from the Nissan driver. Olsen would finish the night in third and claim his second podium of the season.

In the Final, Bakchis returned to his winning formula; a fast, precise lead run and an aggressive chase that put him in constant proximity to the Toyota’s paintwork. Despite Aasbo’s best efforts, he again failed to win his first Round of the season by a whisker. But it was vindication after New Jersey, where Aasbo was expelled from the Top 32 and lost a pile of points. Instead, with his closest rivals knocked out early, Aasbo returned to the Championship lead, turning a 41-point deficit into a 15-point advantage.

“What a crazy event! Winning was no easy feat but it feels very special because it represents the tenth win in my Formula DRIFT PRO career,” an excited Odi told us after the trophy ceremony. “Simen and I put my team through a lot today but we both got on the podium. And to do that against a field of crazy drivers means you have to beat on the cars super-hard, and we did that. We laid it all on the line and the cars got beaten up. They constantly needed attention from the crew but they kept them together for us and we kept on going. We definitely owe it to them and I’m thrilled with Feal Race Team – we took first place in PROSPEC as well as first and third in PRO, so we’re carrying a lot of momentum going into the PRO Round in Seattle. Simen and I have to keep charging hard but the cars and team are working well, so we’re confident for the next Round.”

With Field knocked down to second, Chelsea DeNofa (USA) fought his way to the Great 8 but lost a physical battle with Forsberg that saw the Nissan Z punted into the track signage. Finishing 15th, the driver of the Pennzoil / BC Racing Ford Mustang RTR Spec 5-FD dropped from third to fourth in the Championship while Bakchis leapt from sixth to third and Olsen remained fifth.

Taguchi, whose qualifying performance suggested a repeat of his 2022 win, was eliminated from the Top 16 by Forsberg, placing 11th on the night.

Thanks to the success enjoyed by Feal Race Team and Forsberg, GT Radial reclaimed the lead of the 2023 Formula DRIFT PRO Tire Cup, while Ford maintained its lead the Auto Cup. 

For the final words, we turn to Formula DRIFT President, Ryan Sage: “Round 5 of the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship was another crazy event! Once again we saw a brand new winner – the fifth in five rounds – and this time it was Odi Bakchis who fought through some epic battles and overcame a protest to grab the trophy. However, we also saw Fredric Aasbo capture the points lead after Matt Field went out early. And with just three rounds to go, it remains an incredibly tight battle at the top. Anybody could still take the Championship title.”

PROSPEC QUALIFYING

As the most successful qualifier in the 2023 Link ECU PROSPEC Championship, Ben Hobson (USA) put his Pedal Commander / Feal Suspension / Koruworks / Motegi Racing Nissan S14 in first position for the third time in three rounds. Sitting second in the title race, he’d yet to reach the top step of the podium, so all eyes were on Hobson to see if St Louis would see his breakthrough.

Certainly Hobson’s ambitions received a boost when Championship leader Rudy Hansen (USA) was relegated to KQF where his second qualifying run could only place him 25th.

With Hobson’s 88.6-point qualifying run claiming the top spot, second place fell to Amanda Sorensen (USA) in the United States Air Force / Sorensen Motorsports BMW M4. Not only was the 85.3-point run her best qualifying result to date, but it comes during a season where she’s also competing in the ExtremeE racing series and had missed the opening PROSPEC Round.

Third-place Derek Madison (USA) narrowly missed second place with an 85-point run in his­ Fuelab Fuel Systems / IG Motorsports Nissan S14. Despite some strong runs, Madison sat 14th overall in the PROSPEC title race and would be hoping to convert his qualifying performance into Championship points. 

The winner of Round 2, Rookie Cole Richards (USA) was unable to complete his first and second qualifying runs in his Richards Racing / Koruworks Scion FRS. Consequently, the driver who sat third in the points table coming into St Louis went home early. 

Top Rookie qualifier, Zandara Kennedy (Canada), put her ZeeDrives Nissan 240SX in ninth position with a 79.3-point run.

A packed field of 39 drivers battled for the 32 PROSPEC competition places, with the bottom seven qualifiers being excluded from the event. And after completing their second run in KQF we waved goodbye to Justin Chesnutt (USA), Zach Farrar (USA), Margaritis Katsanidis (Greece), Alex Lichliter (USA), Erick Medici (Brazil), Cole Richards (USA) and Cory Talaska (USA).

PROSPEC COMPETITION

Proving dreams do come true, Ben Hobson (USA) successfully converted his qualifying form into victory, claiming his first Link ECU PROSPEC win since joining the Championship in 2021. And with his closest rivals out of contention, Hobson took a commanding 65-point lead in the title race heading to the Final Round in Utah on September 14-16.

Hobson’s advantage was doubled by the early demise of Rudy Hansen (USA), the PROSPEC Championship leader coming into St Louis. Hansen was eliminated from the Top 32 heats by Austin Matta (USA) and finished the day in 27th, dropping to third overall with an 81-point deficit. And with a maximum of 103 points available in the Final Round, Hansen needs Hobson and Hateley to experience some major malfunctions to claim the title. 

Double PROSPEC Champion, Dmitriy Brutskiy was knocked out of the Top 16 by Geoff Donati (USA) on his way to third place in the Freedom Builders / Tuner Tools-powered E46 BMW. Finishing 14th in St Louis, Brutskiy is 108 points behind Hobson, making him mathematically incapable of clinching a third title.

Hobson's march to victory began with a Top 32 win over Matthew Bystrak (USA) driving the Gas Factory Nissan S13. Unfortunately, Bystrak slid into Hobson’s Pedal Commander / Feal Suspension / Koruworks / Motegi Racing Nissan S14 in OZ1 on their first run. The mistake proved fatal and Hobson moved onto the Top 16 where he had an epic battle against Trevor Root (USA) in the Peak Performance Fab E36 BMW. 

The judges were unable to separate their first runs, so requested One More Time. And with Root struggling to fill the zones as he chased Hobson, the win went to the Nissan driver thanks to a superior chase performance.

In the Great 8, Hobson beat Matta on a split decision by virtue of another strong chase. The judges had an easier decision in the Final 4 after Connor O’Sullivan (USA) put two wheels in the dirt in OZ1 and then hit the wall in OZ2, taking him out of contention. However, O’Sullivan would place fourth to reward his effort, finishing as the top PROSPEC Rookie in his RTS / GT Radial E46 BMW. The result catapulted him to sixth overall and the leading contender for Rookie of the year.

Hobson’s win secured his place in the Final where he faced Andy Hateley (USA) driving the Hateley Motorsports Habanero E46 BMW. The Drift Wizard had vanquished Hooman Rahimi (USA), Nate Chen (USA), Blake Olsen (USA) and Donati to earn his spot. However, concern over his lug nuts meant Hateley opted to run on the same tires he had used in the Final 4. This put him at a disadvantage, which became apparent almost immediately as he struggled to fill the zones and maintain proximity to Hobson in the lead position. With the roles reversed, Hateley made several mistakes in the lead, running off the track in OZ4 to give Hobson his first win.

Claiming his second podium of the season, Hateley climbed from ninth to second in the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship and became one of only three drivers with a chance of claiming the 2023 title in Utah. 

“It’s been a long time coming but we finally achieved a perfect event and I’m super-stoked about it,” Hobson confirmed after the podium celebrations. “My team and family are going crazy and I want to thank my sponsors as well. We’re going gung-ho into the next round where we have a chance of taking the Championship. And I’m not lifting, so we’re running into Round 4 at full tilt like we have all season!”

Among the many “firsts” in St Louis was the first ever all-female Formula DRIFT tandem battle. It took place between Zandara Kennedy (Canada) and Kelsey Rowlings (USA) in the Top 32 heats. The contest went to OMT, with Rowlings getting the close call. Rowlings would progress to the Top 16 where she was beaten by Austin Matta (USA). Meanwhile, the number two qualifier, Amanda Sorensen, also reached the Top 16 and finished ninth overall.

2023 FORMULA DRIFT CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

ROUND 5 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS

2023 FD PRO TOP 16 DRIVER CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

2023 AUTO CUP STANDINGS

2023 TIRE CUP STANDINGS

ROUND 3 FD PROSPEC TOP 16 DRIVER POINTS

FD PROSPEC TOP 16 CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

NEXT ROUND

Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA  will host the Formula DRIFT PRO Championship Round 6 on August 11-12. Please visit formulad.com for the competition schedule, ticket information, driver profiles, special content, and the event livestream